Alice Capsey top-scores with 75 in Delhi Capitals' defeat to reigning champions Mumbai Indians in first match of 2024 Women's Premier League; Capsey's innings best by an English player in the tournament, eclipsing Nat Sciver-Brunt; Sciver-Brunt bowled on the Natmeg in win over Delhi
Saturday 24 February 2024 09:04, UK
Alice Capsey struck the highest score by an English player in the Women's Premier League before she was smashed for the match-winning six off the final ball as Mumbai Indians pipped Delhi Capitals by four wickets in the 2024 opener.
Capsey, 19, hit nine fours and three sixes in her 75 from 53 balls against a Mumbai attack featuring her England team-mate Nat Sciver-Brunt, the player whose record she eclipsed.
Sciver-Brunt made 72 for Mumbai against UP Warriorz during the inaugural WPL season in 2023, one of three half-centuries she amassed while helping her side claim the first title.
Capsey then bowled the final over of the game, which began with Mumbai needing 12 runs to overhaul Delhi's total of 171-5.
The off-spinner took two wickets, including Harmanpreet Kaur (55) off the penultimate delivery, but was then clubbed over long-on by Sajeevan Sajana with Indians needing five to win in Bengaluru.
Capsey had earlier looked in with a chance of eclipsing the highest score by anyone in the WPL - the 99 from 56 balls New Zealand's Sophie Devine smoked for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Gujarat Giants last term - before being pinned lbw on the reverse sweep in the 18th over at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Sciver-Brunt made 19 from 17 balls in Mumbai's reply, bowled attempting the Natmeg - the shot where she tries to work the ball through her legs and into the on-side.
Harmanpreet and Yastika Bhatia (57) top-scored for Mumbai as they beat Delhi again, having defeated them by seven wickets in last year's final thanks in large part to Sciver-Brunt's unbeaten 60.
The WPL is the women's version of the men's Indian Premier League, which has been in existence since 2008.
The WPL features five teams, with Capitals and defending champions Indians joined by RCB, Giants and UP Warriorz.
Sciver-Brunt and Capsey are two of the six English players involved in this year's competition with another, seam bowler Issy Wong, not selected by Mumbai for this match.
Sophie Ecclestone and Danni Wyatt, (Warriorz) and Kate Cross (RCB) are the others, with Heather Knight (RCB) and Lauren Bell (Warriorz) having withdrawn to focus on England's white-ball tour of New Zealand in March and April, a trip that will comprise five T20 internationals and three one-day internationals.
Scotland international Kathryn Bryce is in Giants' squad this season.
Watch all 22 matches from the WPL live on Sky Sports, including the final on Sunday March 17.
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